The Florida Atlantic University women’s basketball team got to experience a winter wonderland and got into the holiday spirit during its road trip to Madison, Wisconsin.

After playing at Mississippi State on Friday, the team had a couple of days before its game at the University of Wisconsin. The Owls had a sightseeing day in downtown Chicago, visiting shops along the Windy City’s grand Magnificent Mile and Navy Pier along the Lake Michigan shore.

Then, on Sunday, the team awoke to find a wonderful coat of snowfall outside the team hotel. This brought the most excitement to players and coaches, with several seeing snow for the first time. Team members had a snow ball fight outside the hotel on the morning before the game with the Badgers. Here is a short video of the snow ball fight. Video here. Sometimes, it is easy to forget that the players are really young girls at heart.

Junior Shanequa Schrouder recalls her first experience with snow here. Video here. This will be an experience that many will not soon forget.

As a native of Indiana, this wasn’t my first experience with winter. However, after being at FAU for four years, you do not notice the changing of the seasons in South Florida. Seeing my breath while waking down Chicago’s Michigan Avenue even got me in the holiday shopping spirit. But I must admit it is easier to be shopping without several layers of clothing to keep warm.